Straying from the Path
by Dream Calibur
Summary: Gaara has always been alone until a girl sees not the monster, but Gaara himself. As he befriends her, he comes to have deeper feelings for her... until she disappears from Suna. Will Gaara ever see her again? Will she return his feelings? Gaara x OC R&R!
1. Prologue

Prologue

Gaara sat alone in the sandbox, his fingers idly tracing designs in the white sand, his pale blue-green eyes focused on something else. A group of children, roughly his age, was playing a wild game of tag on the other side of the playground. Gaara watched them sadly, longing in his eyes but unable to join the other children in their games. His finger twitched in half-resentment, half-anger, and a smoke-like wisp of sand curled around his body.

He watched hopefully as a mother and her daughter stepped towards the playground. He carefully looked at her face, and was sure that he had not seen her before. Perhaps she did not know that the Ichibi was sealed within him, and would come play with him in the sandbox. Her mother looked around, catching Gaara's curious stare, and shot the young boy a piercing glare. Gaara withered, curling up into a tight ball while trying to blink back the salty tears.

He watched gloomily as the mother walked her child towards the large group of children, and a single tear fell softly onto the sand as he saw her chatting amiably with the rest of the children. Gaara chocked back the wave of sadness that nearly flooded him, a feeling he experienced every day but was unable to prevent self-pity from making him want to cry aloud. The pain was so great, so agonizing, Gaara felt that his heart would rip out of his body.

Another girl walked over to the playground, this time alone, and Gaara guessed she was slightly younger than he was. Sneaking a closer glance, he saw that she had raven-black hair tied into a sloppy ponytail, and sharp onyx eyes. Then he sighed, knowing that she would probably run over to the other side of the playground, and never know that he was there. The girl began walking towards the swings, but stopped, sensing someone gazing at her. She turned and saw Gaara, all alone in the sandbox, and hesitantly walked towards him.

"Hi," she mumbled shyly when she was close enough to him. She jumped into the sandbox with Gaara, brushing dust from her fingers as she inspected him.

Gaara looked at her in awe, then turned away. She was probably new to Sunagakure, and didn't know that he possessed, no, _was_ the terrible Ichibi, Shukaku. After a week or so, she would begin to realize that he was a danger, and would play with the others, occasionally shooting a glance of pure terror at him.

The girl peered closely at him. "Hello?" she mumbled curiously.

Gaara gazed sadly at her before answering. "Hi," he finally replied.

"My name is Mikoto," the girl continued. "What is your name?"

Gaara didn't want to answer this question, but he knew he had to if he wasn't going to hurt her feelings. Deep inside his heart, what he really wanted - no, _needed _- was a true friend. Maybe Mikoto could be his friend...

"I-I'm Gaara," he replied hesitantly.

Mikoto was silent for a while. _She's_ _probably remembering her mother's words to stay as far as possible from a strange redhead with the same name as me_, the redhead thought miserably.

"Why are you called Gaara?" Her new question shocked him. Of all the people he knew, no one had ever wondered why he was named Gaara. But when he shook his head, refusing to answer, Mikoto hastily said, "Oh, never mind."

Gaara heard a woman's voice calling Mikoto's name, most likely her mother calling her to come home. She heard it too, and stood up, brushing sand from her pants. "Okay, bye, Gaara-kun." She stepped out from the sandbox, then stopped as Gaara grabbed her hand.

"W-will you be here tomorrow?" he asked hastily, looking into her eyes. She was slightly shorter than him, and so had to look down to see into hers.

Mikoto smiled, her eyes sparkling. "Yes. See you tomorrow, then, Gaara-kun." With that, Gaara loosened his hold on her hand and she ran to her mother, with Gaara's blue-green gaze trailing after her.

----------

Many months had passed since their meeting, the air now slightly chillier as winter crept by. Gaara and Mikoto were now close friends, often hanging out inside the sandbox almost every afternoon when they were free from their few responsibilities.

One afternoon, the sun pale gold and hanging meekly over the various sand dunes that surrounded Sunagakure, Mikoto and Gaara were playing in the sandbox as usual. Suddenly, Hikari, one of the more bold children who always played tag on the other side of the park, popped up behind Mikoto. She squatted down beside her, casting Gaara a swift glare. "Hey," Hikari said in her usual squeaky voice. "Why are you playing with _him_ all the time?"

Mikoto looked at Gaara, rage and rejection evident in his heavily ringed eyes. She stood up and walked next to Gaara, seemingly protecting him of all the harsh words the villagers muttered about him. "Why can't I play with Gaara-kun? He's nice to me, and doesn't go around spreading rumors about innocent people like you and your friends," she retorted hotly. A warm sensation filled Gaara's body, and a glow of happiness radiated from him. His lips formed a small smile, and he squeezed Mikoto's hand.

Hikari looked shocked. Then, in an instant, her shocked expression faded and she laughed, that horrible high-pitched shriek of hers. She tossed her long blonde hair backwards, her grey eyes sparkling with amusement. "You mean you don't _know_?" she giggled. She leaned forward, and whispered into Mikoto's ear, "Your little Gaara-kun is the Ichibi, Shukaku. Everyone in the village knows that, and they fear him. _He_ is the monster that killed many of Suna's ninja when they tried to capture the bijuu and use its power for themselves. Don't you see, Mikoto-chan? He's dangerous, he could kill _you_." Hikari's eyes narrowed when she gazed down upon the redheaded Gaara, but her voice mocking.

Gaara flinched. He shrank back at the venom in those words. Now was the moment that he had been dreading for the few months that he had shared the strong bond of friendship with Mikoto. This was the moment when Mikoto would hate him and fear him as the others did, and abandon him once again. He braced himself for the moment... the moment this new world of his would fade away and become meaningless.

Mikoto glanced down at Gaara, but her eyes were kind and showed trust. "No."

Hikari blinked. "Excuse me?" she said, her voice shrill.

"No." Mikoto trained her onyx eyes on Hikari's silver orbs. "Gaara-kun _isn't_ the bijuu, Shukaku. Shukaku is a monster, one who kills and has no room for mercy in his heart. But I _know_ that Gaara-kun wouldn't do that." She took a menacing step forward; the blonde instinctively shrank back. "For the time that I've known Gaara-kun, he was kind to me. It might have been awkward talking to him in the beginning, but he never showed the lust to kill. Gaara-kun and Shukaku may both share the same body, but possess completely different minds. It is _you_ who's wrong."

Hikari growled, then turned her back to them and stomped away in anger. Mikoto looked at Gaara and Gaara looked at Mikoto, awe in his turqoise orbs.

"Thanks," Gaara mumbled. "I would have thought that you would have started to hate me after Hikari told you-told you about the Ichibi..."

"Gaara-kun," Mikoto said sternly, squatting down beside him. "I don't hate you, and I probably never will. Nothing Hikari says will make a difference to our friendship."

"Mikoto-chan..." Gaara said. He paused and smiled at her, embracing her lightly. "Thank you so much."

Mikoto squeezed him. "No problem, Gaara-kun."

Gaara smiled, his face shining. He was bursting with joy that he had finally found a friend – a true friend who would stick by him no matter what. He glanced down at Mikoto's head, certain that he would do whatever he could to help her, too.

----------

It was late. The sun was well below the jagged horizon, the last feeble rays of sunshine dappling the streets of Sunagakure. All the other kids had left the playground, running home to a hot platter of food. Gaara sat alone on the swings, tightly clutching his stuffed teddy bear. His pale blue-green orbs scanned the area, searching for Mikoto's familiar silhouette against the setting sun. His appearance was calm, but deep inside anxieties were churning in his stomach.

A cold gust of wind swept past him, the leaves rustling. The sun had gone down now, and a sliver of silver showed through dark clouds. A ball of flaming colors pulsed within a street lamp, casting enough light for Gaara to continue seeking Mikoto. Many minutes passed in silence, and at last Gaara stood.

He walked silently out of the playground, heading for Mikoto's home. He had been there a couple of times, fooling around in the yard and occassionally lending her mother a hand at household chores. His slow walk turned into a quick stride as his worries increased. "She's probably just caught a cold," Gaara said aloud, reassuring himself. "Or maybe her mother gave her extra chores..." His voice faded as he reached the apartment room.

The faded curtains were pulled back from the window, and Gaara stepped closer, peeking through the narrow slit. What he saw caused him to step back in horror, a hand clamped over his mouth to stifle his yelp.

The coffee table was gone. The multi-colored vases, filled with roses and tulips, had disappeared. The beautiful portraits of famous ninja Mikoto's mother had so painted had vanished. Everything had so suddenly faded into nothingness, gone without a trace.

But worst of all, Mikoto was gone.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

A streak of black shot through the misty boughs, leaves scattering onto the spongy soil beneath. A blur of pastel-blue followed shortly, disappearing into the thick undergrowth, accompanied by a smudge of chestnut.

Hidden within a mass of leaves and branches, Mikoto grit her teeth, her strategic mind already working out new ways to outwit the horde of rogue nin that had traced their route from the village gates of Kirigakure all the way to a few days' journey from Konohagakure. _Just my luck_, Mikoto thought bitterly. _We depart Kiri, and when we're so close to our destination we just _have_ to be pursued by a whole _horde _of B-ranked missing nin. And now that they've finally caught up, Kikumi-sensei vanishes!_

Mikoto couldn't prevent directing exasperation at their peculiar sensei, with her lustrous electric-blue tresses and her odd habit of placing a cerulean flower behind her ear. It was bad enough when she hardly showed up for training, but to abandon her subordinates when a band of rogue nin ambushes them? Not to mention the mysterious way she smiled, how the corner of her lips twitched upwards in a quirky grin, yet her golden eyes remained dull like unpolished bronze...

A kunai, glinting silver in the dappled sunlight, whizzed past a low-hanging limb and spun directly towards Mikoto's heart. Even in the cramped situation, Mikoto expertly caught the kunai, clutching the bandaged handle tightly. Keeping her chakra signatures low, she crept out from the leafy treetop and crouched behind a large grey boulder. Motioning to her teammates, Takae Hiro and Mizumoto Takeshi, Mikoto darted forward, stooping in the shadows of a large tree trunk. Her team followed her, progressing stealthily through the forest floor while dodging the occasional shuriken or kunai.

_Oh, Kami,_ Mikoto thought fervently as she crept behind a large fern, sharp onyx eyes desperately searching the clearing for any other shrubs or trees. _Please let us make it through the forest alive – and in condition for the upcoming chuunin exams..._

Suddenly, Hiro slipped on the muddy soil underfoot, and fell forward. He stifled a yell, but his impact against a large stump had aroused the rogue nin. One by one, they filtered into the muddy clearing. Helping the strawberry-blonde genin to his feet, Mikoto hastily observed the gathering of missing ninja, instantly fabricating a rough overview of their opponents.

_Okay,_ Mikoto calculated gloomily, knowing that they had no choice but to defend themselves. _There seems to be about ten ninja. Judging from their attire, I would assume that around seven of them originally came from Sunagakure, and the rest from Iwagakure. The turbaned ninja in the center appears to be the leader of the group, which means that he has potent abilities. The few on the right are more taijutsu-based, due to their bulging muscles, and the lean, wiry missing nin most likely specialize in speed and long distance attacks._

Determined onyx met doubtful sapphire and witty hazel. With a brief nod, Mikoto swiftly performed the familiar hand seals, muttering, "_Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu_!" Instantaneously, four precise duplicates of Mikoto dashed towards the enemy, struggling for control. Replicas of Hiro and Takeshi followed, until the horde of rogue nin were struggling vainly under the swarm of water clones. Mikoto chose this time to flee, and disappeared into the foliage once more, closely pursued by Hiro and Takeshi.

An hour had passed rather uneventfully, and now the genin traveled on in tranquility. The pained shrieks of fallen ninja and clinks as kunai clashed that had once rung apprehensively in their ears had steadily faded with each leap. Heaving a sigh of relief, Mikoto relaxed her tensed shoulders, yet her onyx orbs still blazed, probing the forest for signs of an ambush.

After she was confident that the rogue nin were either back at the clearing, injured badly, or perhaps dead, Mikoto trained her gaze on her team. Takeshi was panting heavily, beads of sweat glistening on his forehead and nose. With every leap, his legs buckled beneath him. Hiro fared no better; his breaths were short and irregular, his eyelids drooping. She halted abruptly, barring the way with her arm.

"W-what are you doing?" Takeshi mumbled, gasping for air. He wiped the sweat off his nose with the back of his hand, struggling to stand up straight. Hiro was silent, but even without looking, Mikoto knew he was bewildered.

"Takeshi-kun," Mikoto stated rather flatly, suppressing the urge to slap her forehead in irritation. "It's necessary for us to take a break... _now._ We've left our adversaries far behind, and we're all exhausted. If we don't rest now and the rogue nin locate us again, we would be too fatigued to defend ourselves properly. Frankly, we'd be breathing our last."

Ignoring the cries of opposition from Takeshi, Mikoto hopped off the branch, landing on the forest floor lightly in a crouch. Motioning for her teammates to follow, she began to set up a hasty camp. In a moment a fire was blazing under the steadily darkening sky, and the three genin crouched by the bright flames, each munching gratefully on a soldier pill.

Mikoto leaned back, eyes closed serenely, yet senses still alert. She wouldn't be surprised if the remainder of their attackers chose to ambush them at this moment. _After all, this wouldn't be the first time,_ Mikoto thought with a grin. Just to be cautious, Mikoto stood and set up a few traps on the boundary of their camp.

"Hey, Hiro-kun, Takeshi-kun," Mikoto called as she concealed an explosive tag in the drier portion of land that surrounded their campsite. "Who wants to have first watch?"

Stars sparkled in the midnight sky, a pale crescent moon dangling by the wispy boughs of the willow. Wind snaked through the clearing, the pale willow leaves rustling in the tranquil breeze. Starlight reflected from the glistening water, waves lapping at the muddy bank, where two figures sat by a swiftly flowing river, muttering darkly.

"I'm telling you this, Hozumi," one hissed angrily, violet eyes blazing with fury. "Those runaway Sunagakure ninja that you hired are simply _pathetic._ They were defeated by _three genin_. And not only that, but with their _mizu bunshin_. Think about it, Hozumi."

The man named Hozumi sighed unhappily, running a hand self-consciously through his sleek raven-black hair. "I know, Aemi-chan," he muttered gloomily. "They were chuunin, but I had never expected the Ji-"

Aemi clamped a pale hand over Hozumi's mouth. "Baka," she spat, a scowl on her face. "Ryousei-sama would have your head if he knew you were going to say _that _word... Kami knows who might be eavesdropping!"

Hozumi smirked, wrapping a muscular arm around Aemi's slender shoulders. "So... are you warning me because you care, and that you want my head still attached to my shoulders?" he teased, fingering a lock of Aemi's electric blue locks. His smirk grew wider as Aemi stared at him in shock, her violet orbs wide with astonishment.

After a moment of hesitation, Aemi pushed away Hozumi's arm in disgust, retorting, "Of course not. I'm only warning you because if I lost my partner for the job, then _my_ job would be a whole lot harder. And if I happened to fail, Ryousei-sama would also have _my_ head as well."

"Ah... well, I guess that makes sense," responded Hozumi thoughtfully. Aemi slapped him hard on the back, but his only response was to grin.

"Gee, that hurt a _lot_." Aemi rolled her eyes, sighing.

Aemi stood up a moment after Hozumi's sarcastic remark, a glint in her eyes. Instinctively, Hozumi followed suit, a chakra-enforced kunai in hand. "We attack now."

Mikoto bolted awake, beads of cold sweat dripping from her sodden hair. Shuddering from the chill and foreboding, she stood up from her sleeping bag slowly, ears wary of the slightest sound, onyx orbs alert for any sudden movement. Nothing changed, save for the rise and fall of her teammates' chests as they slept on. Smiling as Takeshi began to snore lightly, Mikoto pushed the tent flap open and crept silently out into the clearing.

Sighing deeply, Mikoto sat down on a tree stump. She tilted her head towards the sky, watching the stars. They twinkled brightly, casting their white light upon the clearing, then disappeared under a mass of darkened clouds. A few drops fell from the sky, pattering softly around her. Mikoto smiled softly, enjoying the moisture and the refreshing feeling.

A moment later, Takeshi also crept out from the tent, with Hiro groggily slipping into his blue ninja sandals. Takeshi sat next to her, scratching the back of his head as rain slowly soaked his chestnut brown hair. Hiro stood next to them, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Looking at each other, Mikoto was sure she found affection for each other in their eyes. She smiled, and a warm sensation burst through her body as both teammates grinned back.

Suddenly, three kunai flashed through the air, two of them cutting deep into Hiro's chest. His eyes widened in shock, then dulled as he promptly collapsed onto the muddy ground. The third one was launched towards Mikoto, but before she had the time to block the attack, Takeshi was in front of her. He turned back just as the weapon lodged itself in his ribs, a sad smile gracing his lips as he crumpled.

"Mikoto..." Takeshi rasped, coughing up blood. Mikoto fell on her knees, onyx orbs wide in distress. "Mikoto... I love you." Hazel eyes lingered on Mikoto's face, then closed as Takeshi's heart stopped pumping blood.

"No! Takeshi-kun!" Mikoto sobbed, squeezing her dead teammate. "Hiro-kun! No... this can't be happening! We-We were going to become chuunin together..." Tears leaked out from her eyelids, and she choked as her throat throbbed dully. Then suddenly, her eyes opened and narrowed to slits, rage and fury blazing in the obsidian. The earth rumbled around her, and abruptly caved in, the trees crashing to the ground. Black chakra sliced through the air, instantly incinerating everything it touched. With a cry of agony, the forest within a two mile-radius was destroyed.

Then all was still, everything except for the vengeful panting of the girl – the only survivor of her team. And as she slowly stood, she pierced her left palm with her kunai, thick red blood dripping onto the cracked clearing floor. "Takeshi... Hiro..." She looked up, eyes sparkling with a fierce determination.

"I _will_ avenge your deaths."


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

He stood, facing the golden sun, watching as the blazing ball of bronze fire rose over the horizon. Sand was scattered at his feet, swirling gently as a warm breeze swept back crimson strands of hair. Clear blue-green eyes stared straight ahead at the approaching sandstorm, a slight frown on his porcelain face as he gazed on. The barren sight that greeted him was less than inviting: a vast environment of sand, dust, and wind; the few plants and animals that dwelled there sweltering in the arid desert lands.

Sighing softly, he leaned against the elaborately-carved stone railings of the veranda, his eyes downcast. Sea-blue orbs clouded over as he thought deeply, fervently hoping for something he might never receive...

_The chuunin exams at Konohagakure... We made a promise – a promise to be the best ninja that we could... I wonder if she'll be there as well...? _Gaara clutched his chest savagely, nails painfully digging into his skin. But a greater pain was of that buried deep within his heart, an agony he had indured for many years.

"Gaara." The sharp and yet rather lazy drawl of his elder sister, Temari, drew him from his anguished wonderings. He straightened, his face expressionless as he fixed his intent gaze upon her.

"We'll be leaving Suna once Kankurou finishes sharpening Karasu's scythes. Are you prepared for the journey?" she inquired, impatiently glancing back indoors at the frantic dark blob. Faint clinks were heard as the puppet master scraped a whetstone against the metal blades. Gaara responded with a slight jerk of his head, a silent indication that he was ready.

Soon, Kankurou hastily scurried outside onto the balcony as well, and the trio leaped from the railings, each performing various handseals. With a poof of smoke, and swirling sand left in their wake, they were gone – on their journey, their quest, to become the unsurpassed ninja. Step number three: chuunin exams.

Sunlight filtered in through the polished window, golden warmth embracing the sleeping figure. Birds chirped a mellow harmony, the sweet music drifting in through the cracked brickwork. She stirred underneath a tangle of bleached hospital sheets, limbs jerking as she fought off a non-existent enemy. She twitched, her body twisting violently, mouth open in a silent scream of agony. Then, all was still.

She lay there on the bed, unconscious, her disheveled raven-black hair displaying contrast to the white sheets. Beads of cold sweat trickled down her forehead as she lay there, panting, helpless. A single word left her parted lips, "_Aki._"

Suddenly, the door was flung open, the wooden frame almost torn off its rusty hinges. A black-haired medic nin rushed in, smoky orbs passing over the beeping monitor as she hurried towards the stirring figure.

As Mikoto slowly opened her eyes, blinking as light flooded her senses, she noticed the medic-nin examining the moniter. Footsteps echoed from outside the room, and a blonde in an orange jumpsuit dashed into the room, panting. "Oi," he gasped as he skidded to a halt beside her. "How is she doing?"

With a jolt Mikoto realized that the blonde was talking about her. She struggled up, leaning on an elbow and grimacing as her surroundings spun. "W-where am I?" she managed to ask before she was gently pushed down by the medic-nin.

Then, suddenly, all the memories came flooding back to her. The chuunin examinations at Konohagakure, the rogue nin, Takeshi's death, and now - ?

Mikoto glanced back at the blonde. He was facing away from her, staring intently at the moniter as if trying to grasp the various lines and dashes. Feeling her gaze upon him, he turned, and she was able to see the _hitai-ate_ that he wore over his forehead.

"Konoha," Mikoto breathed, her eyes widening. The swirl set in the metal was recognizable by anyone in Kiri, as it was a small team of Leaf ninja that had brought a more stabilized peace and more trade and wealth to the misty village. She glanced from the blonde ninja to the medic-nin, then back again. "How...?"

"...did we find you?" The blonde finished the sentence for her. He grinned, arms folded across his chest. "Oh, that was simple. Kakashi-sensei had me go train nearby, and I saw the remains of a camp," he announced proudly. He thought a while, then added, "And a battle, too."

"D-did you find anyone else, a body perhaps?" Mikoto's throat ached and tears welled in her eyes. She choked on the words, and stopped before she revealed the grief shaking in her voice.

"Ah..." He scratched his head, cerulean orbs clouded in thought. "No."

"Oh – o-okay. Arigatou." A single tear fell from her eyes, landing softly on the blankets. A damp patch appeared, and Mikoto casually shifted her hand to conceal evidence of sorrow. Gritting her teeth, Mikoto mentally recited, _Shinobi Rule #25: A ninja must never show his/her emotions in any situation._

Naruto, being the warm-hearted idiot that he was, did his best to change the subject. "So," he began, racking his brain for ideas. "Oh – what was your name?"

"Suzuki. Suzuki M-Mikoto," she replied quietly. She looked up, a wry smile on her face. "You probably have never heard of me before today. I'm from Kirigakure – I... we were coming to Konoha for the chuunin exams, but..." Mikoto cut off, shaking her head miserably.

"Oh." Apparently, the blonde didn't have anything to say, to comfort his new "friend."

Mikoto feigned a look of happiness, then inquired, "Well, what's your name?"

Naruto grinned, his eyes flashing with an odd determination. It was obvious that he had been anticipating this moment... "Uzumaki Naruto, future hokage, at your service!

"Naruto... hm." Mikoto appeared to be lost in thought for a moment, then looked up at him. "Suzuki Mikoto, nice to meet you, Naruto-san."

Just as the blonde was about to speak again, the medic-nin cut in sharply. "Okay, Naruto-kun. Visiting time is over for today, and she still needs to rest." Her smoky eyes flickered towards Mikoto.

Grumbling, Naruto shuffled out of the room, but not without casting one last glance at Mikoto. His footsteps echoed as he made his way down the stairs, the steady rhythm fading slowly as he grudgingly walked away. Once the room had aquired its usual serene silence, the medic-nin picked up a clipboard and handed it to Mikoto.

"When Naruto-kun found you, you were unconscious. You had suffered from either major shock or distress, along with various minor injuries, and chakra depletion. You'll need plenty of rest for the next few days, but you will be free to leave the hospital either tonight or tomorrow morning, depending on your condition. Tsunade-sama, the hokage, will speak with you tomorrow morning. I suggest you lay down until then," she said kindly.

Mikoto bowed her head, murmuring, "Arigatou, um...?" She looked up, an inquisitive expression on her face.

The medic-nin smiled, saying, "You can call me Shizune."

"Ah...arigatou, Shizune-san," Mikoto said, politely dipping her head.

Shizune smiled again before walking out of the room and gently closing the door with the muffled _creak_ of a rather rusty door hinge. Evidently, she was rather pleased by the girl's calm demeanor and politeness. _So different from that loud-mouth Naruto-kun_, she thought as she made her way down the stone stairs.

Mikoto sat up from the bed, head spinning with all that had happened in the past day. Waiting until she was positive the medic-nin had left, Mikoto stood and slowly stumbled to the window. The sight that greeted her was both pleasant as well as depressing. _If I had been stronger – a better ninja... then Takeshi and Hiro wouldn't have... and we'd all be exploring the streets of Konoha, preparing and training..._

Blinking back another round of tears, Mikoto took a deep breath and focused once more on the village. Houses and apartments branched out around the Hokage Tower, the paint peeling away from the wood. Gaily coloured shops dotted around the more populous areas, with small street vendors happily making their business. Blossoming parks were seen here and there, with swarms of children gleefully chasing each other, their shrieks and cries heard even through the glass. On the outskirts of the town, Mikoto spied various training grounds and the lush forests that grew from there on.

She cringed. Everything she saw – joy, hope, determination – was what she had experienced in the villages she had lived in previously. She had made friends... _true_ bonds of friendship – and everything was forced from her after the bonds had strengthened so much that they would _die_ for each other. From Sunagakure, to Iwagakure, and then even Kiri... but would it happen to her in Konoha?

She was thinking of Hiro and Takeshi from Kiri, of Akito and Emi in Iwagakure, and of Gaara in Suna...

Mikoto froze, her onyx eyes wide. _That's right,_ she thought, her heart skipping beats,_ I fled on my own._ Jumbled thoughts and hopes filled her heart as she stuggled to untangle them...

Flashback

_It was another red sunset, the sun already beginning to sink below the horizon. Mikoto lay on her back next to Gaara, closing her eyes as a warm breeze swept past her. Despite being in the middle of a particularily arid desert, it was still rather cold once the night settled in and the warmth faded._

_With a burst of energy, Mikoto sat up and turned to face her crimson-haired companion. He was crouched beside her, his hands deep in the fine sand. Mikoto grinned, knowing exactly what he was doing – constructing yet another sand castle._

"_Gaara?"_

_He looked up at her curiously, his hands still patting the sand into place. Knowing that she had the attention of the young jinchuuiki, Mikoto smiled and gazed up at the ever darkening sky, watching as the gusts of parched wind blew the clouds away._

_Slowly, Mikoto turned to face Gaara. In a soft whisper, she asked, "Your dream is to become a shinobi, isn't it?"_

_Gaara nodded. "Even if I didn't want to be, I'm the Kazekage's son," he said matter-of-factly. "And – and I'm still my father's weapon, the weapon of Suna..." he added miserably. "I yearn to show everyone that just because I have a demon inside of me, I don't have to be hateful."_

_Mikoto gave Gaara's back a friendly pat. "I know," she said sympathetically, "it's just... since we're both gonna be shinobi... let's make a promise." She leaned forward, gently intertwining his pinky with hers._

"_Gaara, let's make a promise to be the best ninja that we can be!" Mikoto chirped, her voice purposeful and her face aglow with fierce determination. With a small smile – slight and uncertain, but a smile nonetheless – Gaara nodded._

_Grinning with delight, Mikoto gave Gaara's hand a squeeze, and lay back down to watch the stars while he added towers to his creation... the vow still ringing in the night air._

End Flashback

Shaken back to reality, Mikoto blinked and stood, staggering back towards the bed, head reeling. Plopping down on the bedraggled sheets, she felt a chill – cold, but not unpleasant – creep through her body. Because she knew that if Gaara still kept that promise, and Mikoto was in no doubt that he did, he'd be on his way to Konoha for the upcoming chuunin exams.

And Mikoto was in Konoha. Which meant she would see him again for the first time in many, many years.


	4. Chapter 3

Mikoto woke up the next day, refreshed and invigorated, yet rather anxious about her meeting with the Sandaime Hokage. She had heard rumours back in Kirigakure that the hokage, already with amazing justsu and skill despite his old age, was the_ sensei_ of the Legendary Sannin. And of course she had heard about his pupils, one of them who could use chakra to smash a sturdy brick wall into crumbs...

Truth be told, Mikoto was rather alarmed at the thought of meeting the hokage, but as shinobi should, she took a deep breath and calmed herself as best as she could. But even as she walked towards the Hokage Tower, her knees wobbled precariously.

She stopped in front of her office, and gulped. Raising a hand, she clenched it into a fist and prepared to knock on the wood...

"Come in." Mikoto froze, then pushed the door open. The hokage was bent over a thick pile of documents, not even paying attention to her. Mikoto was amazed at his ability to sense chakra even while concentrating on other matters.

"Well then," he rasped, his voice deep and gravelly, looking up from his paperwork. "You are Suzuki Mikoto, a genin of Kirigakure. You came to Konoha for the chuunin exams with your teammates, Takae Hiro and Mizumoto Takeshi, I presume."

Mikoto nodded, saying, "Hai."

He sighed, rubbing his eyes wearily. "You do realize that with the death of your teammates, you are no longer legitimate to participate in the examinations."

Once again, Mikoto nodded. "I was wondering..." she hesitated, then continued apprehensively, "is it possible for someone to assess my skills and determine whether or not I could become a chuunin?"

The hokage closed his eyes, thinking. "In theory, yes, but a shinobi must also earn to work as a team in order to accomplish a mission. You know this."

Mikoto bowed her head. "Very well, hokage-sama. I understand that it is impossible for me to attend the upcoming chuunin exams, but I have another request. Is it possible for me to become a Konoha ninja instead?"

The room was quiet. After a moment of awkward silence, the Sandaime stood and slowly walked over to the large windows overlooking the village.

"I understand how you would detest returning to Kiri," he finally said, still blankly staring out the glass windows. "However, this is not entirely my decision. If, by chance, the Mizukage agrees, then you will be permitted to stay." The hokage turned around. "You have money, I presume?"

Mikoto nodded, pulling out an elaborately written scroll. "Sensei told us to bring some for the chuunin exams, for extra weapons and meals," she said. Forming a few hand seals, the scroll poofed and disappeared. In its wake was a rather thick bundle of cash.

He sank back into the armchair with an exhausted sigh. "Very well. You are dismissed."

-------------------------

As soon as Mikoto finished arguing over the price of renting a small one-room apartment, she stuffed some change in her pocket and wandered aimlessly through the crowded streets. Mikoto couldn't help but dislike the rather more humid climate, being accustomed to the damp, chilling air of Kirigakure. She wasn't sure how she had survived, living in Suna...

Mikoto turned a corner, her mind still thinking of the parched desert village when she bumped into someone. Vaguely, she glimpsed a flash of orange before she fell. Flushing, she scrambled back onto her feet and muttered, "Sorry," before realizing that the person she had collided with was Naruto.

"I'm so sorry, Naruto-san," Mikoto repeated hastily as she helped him to his feet. "I wasn't looking where I was going."

Naruto grinned. "S'okay," he said, chuckling to himself.

_If this had been an anime_, Mikoto thought to herself, _I would be sweatdropping right about now..._

Suddenly, a crazy thought popped into her mind. "Hey, Naruto-san, are you participating in the chuunin exams?"

Naruto nodded. "Yup!"

"Cool," Mikoto replied. "Care for a spar sometime later in the afternoon, say, at the Training Ground No. 13 at five o'clock?"

Naruto bounced up and down, bobbing his head fervently. "Sure!" he exclaimed eagerly. "Heh, it'll be a good time to practice my jutsu for the exams!" He then sped off, yelling something along the lines of, "Gotta go prepare!" and leaving a cloud of dust in his wake.

Laughing at Naruto's rather eccentric behavior, Mikoto continued walking around the village. Apparently, today was Mikoto's clumsy day: not only did she collide into Naruto, but twice she almost slammed into a wall, and would have had it not been for her quick reflexes. She had nearly tripped over a peach lying on the dusty path, and she had also bounced off of a very emo anti-social ninja, who glared daggers at her even after she had apologized profusely.

When it neared lunchtime, Mikoto decided to quit venturing through the various nooks and crannies the small village possessed. Instead, she absentmindedly wandered towards a quaint oriental style restaurant... when she bumped into someone. Again.

"Sorry, I'm really sorry," Mikoto apologized, mentally slapping herself.

"It's alright. I bump into people a lot, too." Amber eyes glowed with empathy. With a short embarrassed laugh, she swept back a few stray strands of chocolate hair. "By the way, my name is Tenten. I don't believe I've seen you before... are you new to Konoha? Or here for the chuunin exams?"

"Um..." For a brief instant, Mikoto wondered whether or not to tell the truth. Tenten was kind, but the death of her teammates _was_ a rather personal matter. "Yes. I came here for the chuunin exams, but... you see, my teammates are... dead."

There was a brief and awkward silence, in which Tenten furiously thought on the spot to make more conversation, preferably a topic that wasn't quite as tragic.

"Ouch. I'm sorry, that must have been quite the traumatizing situation," Tenten said sympathetically.

Mikoto opened her mouth to reply, but just then an elderly waitress shuffled up to them and asked in a heavy accent, "Table for two?"

Tenten looked at Mikoto, who smiled and nodded. "Yes, we'd like that." The two followed the waitress towards a small wooden table. Two beautifully decorated china plates were set upon the aged wood, along with a teapot full of piping-hot tea, two ceramic teacups, a soft linen napkin, and a set of chopsticks for each person. The waitress placed a menu down on the white tablecloth, then moved on to help the next customer.

"So," Tenten said, flipping idly through the menu, "Er... what was your name?"

"Ah, um, it's Suzuki Mikoto," Mikoto replied hastily, attempting to pour tea into the cups without spilling any of the steaming liquid or burning herself.

Tenten browsed the page. "Mm... Mikoto..." She looked up and smiled. "That's a nice name. May I call you Miko-chan?"

Mikoto laughed, carefully lowering the teapot. "Only if I get to call you Ten-chan," the Kiri ninja responded.

Tenten pouted, her twinkling eyes giving away her act. "Alright, deal. Hey, how about some _shaomai_? I've heard they're tasty."

For the next half hour, the two chatted away as if they were old friends who hadn't seen each other for decades, occasionally munching on some dumplings. Mikoto told Tenten about misty Kirigakure and her teammates. Tenten filled Mikoto in on her team and a few of the other genin participating in the upcoming chuunin exams. Tenten gushed out so much information about the various skilled ninja that Mikoto felt she practically _knew_ them.

With a brief glimpse at a nearby clock, Mikoto stopped, choking on air. She hastily apologized to Tenten before bolting back to her apartment, still spluttering as she snatched a few kunai from her pack and stuffed them unceremoniously into her weapon pouch. Lightly stepping around the random objects lying on the carpet, Mikoto dashed out the room, down three flights of stairs, and ran towards Training Ground No. 13, cheeks red and beads of sweat on her forehead. _Stupid... Konoha... weather_, Mikoto thought as she leaned against a nearby tree, panting.

Naruto appeared a few minutes later, giving Mikoto enough time to restore her energy and take a look at her surroundings. There was a rather large expanse of shimmering grass, surrounded by a dark forest. A large lake was nearby, the water glistening in the light. Mikoto grinned, analyzing everything one last time before she sensed the blonde ninja's familiar chakra. He had quite a bit of chakra, more than she had sensed for her entire lifetime, yet she wasn't concerned. At least, not yet.

As her mother had said, "_There is always a time and place for everything. But now is not the time_." She suddenly cringed, grief overwhelming her heart until she forced it away.

Mikoto straightened, meeting Naruto at the center of the training grounds. Determination flashing in both their eyes – one brilliant cerulean, the other blazing obsidian – they nodded, and the battle began.

-------------------------

Two hours had passed since their spar had begun, and it still had not ended. Her match had begun as an easy combat, but she had taken a few blows as frustration in the blonde turned to power and wit. Glancing back towards the dust path, she almost choked in surprise. Quite a large crowd had come to watch their battle, including a pink (PINK?!) haired girl and the sulky ninja she had bumped into earlier. Tenten was there too, and she had dragged along a quiet, pale-eyed boy and an enthusiastic spandex-wearing ninja with a bowl cut. A few bored villagers had come to watch, hoping for some entertainment.

Two shuriken came whizzing towards her. She easily dodged the first one and snatched the second one out of the air. Glimpsing an orange flash to her right, Mikoto infused some of her chakra into the weapon and flung it towards her opponent. The shuriken lodged itself into Naruto's chest, throwing him to the ground. Then he poofed.

Mikoto rolled her eyes. _Kage Bunshin_, she thought as she rapidly performed hand seals. _How predictable... predictability kills people. _As soon as she completed the final seal, a replica of herself dashed towards the lake in almost-open view. Naruto bounded after the water clone, blind to her next attack.

Concentrating the water-type chakra into the palm of her hand, she began firing the missiles in rapid succession. She saw with a smirk that Naruto hadn't poofed away when hit, which meant he was the real one. She had won.

Slowly, the water faded away from her palm. Mikoto walked towards the grumbling blonde ninja, helping him up from the patch of mud that he lay sprawled in, moaning. Scratching the back of his head, Naruto looked up at Mikoto, pouting. "That hurt!" he whined indignantly.

Mikoto snorted rolling her eyes. "Aren't you a shinobi? From what I've experienced, ninja are supposed to try and bear the pain."

Naruto chuckled sheepishly. "I was just joking, Mikoto-chan. You don't have to be so harsh on me for complaining once in a while," he said.

Grinning, Mikoto turned, then froze. Warmth, then a penetrating cold, sent shivers down her spine. Her onyx eyes were wide with shock as she stared at him, his black-rimmed turquoise orbs gazing back. Everything was the same about him: his ruffled crimson hair, the same porcelain face. Even his posture... the way he would always slouch when he stood.

_But one thing had changed_, Mikoto had noticed with regret, her throat aching with tears and hands shaking with a choked sob. _His eyes are filled with hatred now._


	5. Chapter 4

Mikoto stood, petrified, as she watched him walk away, the spar and his source of entertainment over. As if in a trance, Mikoto murmured an apology to Naruto as she dashed after the crimson haired ninja. He had seemingly disappeared as if he was never there, but Mikoto knew better. Following the slight trail of swirling chakra-infused sand, Mikoto eventually caught sight of Gaara, walking away from her as she had done many years ago. Nevertheless, she had not done it deliberately... as he was doing now. Tears swam in her eyes as she watched him avoid her.

Running after him, the friend she once knew, Mikoto cried out his name several times, all of which he ignored. This stung her, his utter indifference and lack of acknowledgement. Finally, her footsteps slowed to a complete halt. "Gaara-kun... why do you ignore me? Do you even remember me?"

He stopped now, and slowly turned to face her, his eyes meeting hers. Mikoto saw with regret all the hurt he had endured and hidden after she left. Sea-blue eyes flashed, and the anguish was replaced with a cold gaze. "You've seen more than you're supposed to, Mikoto. But you know the cause... so I let you."

Her breath hitched in her throat, almost disbelieving what she had heard. She clutched at her chest, gripping the fabric of her shirt tightly, squeezing her eyes shut as pain throbbed within.

Slowly, she raised her eyes to meet his cold stare. "I know what I've done; there's no changing the fact that I left you in a village full of strangers, of people who loathed you for the demon they thought you were. I know you had no friends before, or even after I came."

Her breath shuddered as she paused briefly, her onyx orbs pleading desperately for Gaara to understand. "I warned you. I told you that I couldn't stay there forever, I told you about _them_. You knew."

Gaara said nothing; he knew she wasn't done speaking yet.

"Gaara – you knew that I cared, that I loved you as a friend. I'm sorry, I truly am," she cried, her throat aching with bitter tears.

There was a long silence, awfully long and full of anticipation. The stillness seemed to last an eternity, broken by nothing except the tranquil whistling of the wind. The far-off echoes of joyful cries rang faintly in her ears, the sharp twittering and chirping of birds lost as she gazed at Gaara expectantly, a sinking sensation in her heart.

Finally, Gaara blinked. Sighing, he walked towards Mikoto, sand gently wrapping around her like ribbons.

She didn't flinch. Gaara almost smiled, that quality of hers was exactly like it had been before; she wasn't afraid of him.

She watched the sand swirl about her, intrigued. She reached out to touch Gaara, then hastily pulled back, looking away.

"I missed you," Gaara said finally. "But we'll never be the same as before."

Mikoto grit her teeth. Of all the things she had expected her to say, or even _not_ to say, she could not foresee this. She faced him, her face blank but her eyes shimmering with remorseful tears. "I agree, Gaara-san." Turning abruptly, her hair slapping against her, she walked away, once again leaving Gaara behind.

-------------------------

_I'm so stupid_, Mikoto mentally scolded herself, kicking a fallen log. Tears streamed down her face, her cheeks flushed and blotchy, as she threw a shuriken at a nearby tree, some twenty yeards away. Steel collided with wood, the weapon connecting with a thud, lodging itself deep into the trunk. She rubbed her eyes irritably, her flowing sleeves absorbing the moisture. Ignoring the faint rustling up in the canopy of leaves, she dropped onto a flat boulder and buried her face in her arms, body convulsing as she sobbed uncontrollably. _What did I expect him to do?_

Something shot down from the trees, landing in a crouch beside her. Glancing up with a piercing glare, Mikoto was rather shocked to find herself looking at the same emo ninja who she had bumped into earlier, and who had come to watch her spar.

"What are you doing here?" he droned, his lifeless obsidian orbs penetrating into her own, probing every emotion carelessly. Mikoto noted with much distaste that he carried himself in a lazy, yet superior manner. His dull onyx orbs held an arrogance of one who is accustomed to being worshipped, spite, and a boastful pride.

Mikoto stared back with a fierce intensity, startling him. He flinched, taken aback, regaining his composure quickly. "And what's it to you? It's not like you own this place, you know," she spat back.

"Hn," He grunted, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his baggy white shorts, observing her in what she assumed was supposed to be a discreet manner.

It was silent for a while, Mikoto continuously rubbing her eyes, trying to dry her tears even with her sleeves soaking wet. Finally, Mikoto decided to give up and let the tears trickle down her cheeks.

The ninja gave her a funny look and muttered, "You know, you're different from most people."

She yawned, stretching to relieve her cramped muscles. "How so, uh...?" She glanced over at him, head cocked to one side.

"...Uchiha Sasuke." He sat down on a tree stump beside Mikoto's boulder, politely handing Mikoto a spare handkerchief. She waved it away breezily, mumbling a string of incoherent words. "You're not a fangirl," he noted, and in his voice was something similar to appreciation.

"Oh," Mikoto said bluntly, not fully comprehending what he meant, "Wait – don't tell me... you're _the_ Uchiha Sasuke, the one Tenten says everyone fawns over. And you're the one who helped Kirigakure, kudos for that, and the other surviving member of the Uchiha clan-"

"Hn."

"-but from what Tenten says, I think that you're kinda...phony," she finished matter-of-factly.

She stifled her laugh, almost shaking with nonexistent giggles as she watched Sasuke's eyes bug out, a vein in his temple throbbing. _Well, it's not every day that Sasuke gets insulted – least of all by a girl_, Mikoto thought, amused.

"Hn." Sasuke attempted to preserve as much dignity he had left, failing rather miserably.

Mikoto rolled her eyes, a slight smile on her face. "Alright, I gotta go now; it's starting to get dark." Jumping off the boulder, Mikoto started to walk back to the main streets. Sasuke was content on watching her go until she disappeared, and suddenly reappeared behind him, unbeknownst to him.

"Oi." Mikoto prodded Sasuke's back with a stick. "You should get going too, unless you plan on spending the night in the woods. And besides, you have to get ready for the chuunin exams tomorrow."

Muttering, Sasuke stood up and walked towards the dirt paths of Konoha, with Mikoto behind him and lecturing him on all his bad qualities: "Sasuke, don't slouch. And don't always stuff your hands in your pockets, what if you fall down and chip a tooth? You fangirls will hate you then..."

Laughing, Mikoto waved good-bye to a rather irate Sasuke and headed off her own way. What started as a cheerful trot slowed down to a reluctant trudge. When she finally reached her apartment, the sky was a deep midnight blue and the stars were twinkling overhead. Leaning against the cold brick wall of the apartment building, Mikoto gazed up, onyx eyes softening. Subconsciously, she sank down onto the pavement.

"Remember how we used to watch the stars every night, Gaara?" Mikoto whispered to herself, a bitter smile slowly spreading across her face, fresh tears glinting silver in the starlight. "It really is too bad that it was all in the past..." she muttered, sleep coaxing her eyelids shut, numbing her senses.

A gentle breeze swept past her, gently caressing her with its light, airy touch. _Things will be what they used to be, Mikoto..._ the wind almost seemed to say, reassuring her, soothing her of her worries.

Vaguely, out of the corner of her eye, Mikoto thought she saw a flash of red and a swirl of sand before sleep overwhelmed her.

-------------------------

Mikoto woke up early the next day, a little surprised to find herself sprawled on the pavement, but refreshed. She trained vigorously but that burst of energy soon faded as she remembered her brief encounter with Gaara, and the fact that nothing interesting at all would happen that day.

Tenten was gone; she was with her teammates, Hyuuga Neji and Rock Lee, all of whom were participating in the chuunin exams. She hoped they would succeed in their goal, especially the weapon-loving panda in buns.

Sasuke was nowhere to be seen, either, probably for the same reasons as Tenten.

Sighing, Mikoto plopped herself down on a rickety bench beside a small pond. It was a bleary day, lacking both sunshine and wind. The small pool shone silver in the pale light, reflections blurred in the calm water. Flicking a small pebble with a twitch of her wrist, Mikoto watched it leap across the entire pond, miniature ripples wavering about, blending amidst each other.

_It's going to be a long day_, Mikoto thought dully, tossing another pebble into the water an watching it sink onto the loamy mud beneath.

She wandered about the village much as she had done the day she met Tenten, though most of the dirt paths were empty, most of the population away at the examinations.

_I just really can't keep my mind off of it, can I?_ Mikoto thought irratibly, frankly annoyed at herself.

As she dozed off from lack of anything to do, her thoughts strayed from the chuunin exams, to her old teammates, and back to their attackers...

Flashback

_The clash of kunai against kunai reverberated through the air, the loudest among other battle sounds. Shuriken whizzed past her on all sides, thudding into tree trunks, clumps of bushes and wild ferns, but most horrifying of all, into flesh and blood. Mikoto watched with terror, her eyes wide with pure fear, as her family and friends collapsed, blood oozing out of their various wounds._

"_Okaa-san!" Mikoto cried, as dread filled her heart. A sudden burst of energy coursing through her veins, she kicked aside the large man she held at bay and desperately dashed towards her mother._

_She lay sprawled on the ground, the pool of blood in which she lay mixing with the soil to form a fetid mud. She was pale, horribly pale, cold beads of sweat trickling down her forehead and into her disheveled black hair. Her breaths came in shallow gasps and wheezes, wincing as she clutched at a deep gash in her side._

"_Okaa-san..." Mikoto kneeled down beside her mother, trembling with fear, oblivious of the raging battlefield surrounding them. She reached out to touch her, then pulled back, frozen in fright._

_Her mother raised a hand weakly, a faint smile gracing her chapped lips. Her eyes were pale too, and rapidly losing the fierce blaze that usually shone in those brilliant amber orbs. _

"_Mikoto," she whispered fondly, stroking her cheek affectionately. "Before I die, you – you ought to know the truth. About yourself..."_

_Mikoto shook her head wildly, grasping her mother's frail hand. "No! Okaa-san, you won't die, I promise! I'll find a healer for you, somewhere, just promise me you won't die!" she cried, tears dripping down her chin, mixing with the blood and muck. _

_Her mother smiled gratefully, but still continued briskly, "I don't have much time left, now. Mikoto, I want you to know this. You...are not my child," she whispered into Mikoto's ear. "Find your true family, and your true destiny, as well...and hopefully, avenge my death."_

_Onyx orbs widened, and the small hands that clutched at her mother's pale ones stiffened. Her body stopped shaking, her lips parted in shock. "W-what?" she stuttered, disbelieving her own ears. "No! Okaa-san...that – that can't be true!"_

_Suddenly, a shadow darted from behind her, stabbed her mother's frail form with an elaborately carved silver katana, striking a vital organ. Casting Mikoto one last glance, she lay still and tranquil as if in a deep sleep...never to wake up again._

_Rage bubbled inside of her as she watched her mother, the only mother she had only known, pass away before her. With a feral cry that rang through the air ominously, she charged, kunai drawn. She hurled herself onto her mother's murderer, slashing viciously with her weapon. He only sneered, and gruffly pushed her off, sending her flying, her back colliding with a tree trunk._

_She stood quickly, not even slightly scratched despite the rough contact. She formed a seal, and water gushed all around him, thundering against him, wrapping around his arms, legs, and neck. Next, a javelin formed out of solid water, shooting towards him at an incredible speed._

"_Impressive," he smirked, "that chakra could do Aku a lot of good..." Yet, just as the javelin found it's mark, her victim disappeared with a poof and a cloud of smoke._

"_Okaa-san..." Mikoto murmured as she swayed, dizzy with lack of chakra, then collapsed, lying beside her mother._

_Then...all was still._


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, just Mikoto and a few other minor characters. And remember Takae Hiro? I don't even own _him,_ he's one of my classmates!

Tsunade/Sarutobi error fixed; I forgot that Tsunade didn't appear until _after_ the chuunin exams...

-------------------------

Iruka had been running errands for Sarutobi for a long time now. He was pretty much like his own personal assistant, eager and prepared for any mission that would befall him. No questions asked, perfect for the most awkward or secretive missions.

As he swerved a corner, the Academy instructor pondered why the hokage would want to summon a foreign ninja, least of all a foreign ninja who had _just switched allegiances that very day_, to assist in supervising one of the most important events that year in Konoha, the chuunin examinations.

Had he been drunk? Nope. Well, at least he didn't think he was drunk at that time, and he knew for a fact that the hokage disliked alcoholic beverages.

In short, the chuunin was fretting over all the possibilities, and a shadow of uncertainty and doubt flickered in his mind.

_After all_, Iruka thought, _if anything _were_ to go wrong, then that would be an A-rank mission then and there, with almost no preparation. That's why we've always stationed the ANBU..._

Then he saw her, onyx orbs glazed as she stared into the pond's clear reflection.

"Mikoto-san!" Iruka called, snapping the Mist ninja from her reverie.

"Huh? Oh, hello," Mikoto waved, smiling cheerfully even though in her mind she was utterly confused at who he was, let alone how he knew her name. "Um, is there anything you need?"

The chuunin nodded, beckoning for her to follow, then set out for the Hokage Tower, Mikoto tailing her. "The mizukage's letter arrived early this morning," Iruka began. "He has sent his consent. You are part of Konoha now; we have your hitai-ate ready. In addition, hokage-sama has requested that you help supervise the chuunin exams with the ANBU."

Mikoto's jaw dropped, an astounded expression written clearly across her face. "Really?" she breathed, eyes shining with eagerness.

Iruka smiled warmly and nodded, saying, "Yes."

His face took became more serious as she furrowed her brows, concerned. "Mikoto-san, be cautious. This is a time of great weakness, and we suspect an attack from one of the neighboring countries. You must be ready to fight at an instant's notice, do not slack. This will be a B-rank mission, possibly even A-rank. I have no idea why hokage-sama..."

Mikoto shook her head, a reassuring smile on her lips. "Don't worry, I'll be okay. And I'll make sure that Konoha will be alright, as well."

"Hm..." Iruka hummed, absently nodding to the guards posted on either side of the tower entrance. The two stepped into the building, and while ascending the stairs, Iruka blurted, "Mikoto-san, I don't understand. Why did the mizukage send his approval so soon? It's like he didn't hesitate..."

Mikoto thought for a moment, her lips twisted in a wry smile. "Yes, I do suppose the mizukage would be glad to see the end of me."

He shot her a sharp look, "What do you mean?"

Mikoto toyed with a strand of hair that had fallen from her ponytail, muttering, "What do I mean, indeed." She grinned cheekily, continuing, "I was never satisfied in Kirigakure; I always stood up against the mizukage and the elders. I guess I really annoyed them, huh?"

Iruka sweatdropped and choked out a nervous chuckle. _I suppose Mikoto-san's more like Naruto-kun than expected_, he thought. _Strange, how many of her new acquaintances describe her as mature and clever, with talent..._

At last, they reached the hokage's office. Peeking in from the doorway, she saw that a few ANBU, masked and in full gear, were already assembled in the cramped room. As soon as both of them entered the room and quietly shut the door, Sarutobi stood up and began to brief them on their mission.

"As you all know, the chuunin exams begin today," he said, emphasizing the point by glancing at each of them. "We have been attacked by foreign ninja usually on these occasions, while the genin are taking the exams, and the jounin are with them making sure nothing goes wrong within. It is on such occasions that we must take the precaution and station a few of our ninja to watch the boundaries.

"You will take turns, some of you will act as surveillance for a part of the chuunin exams in the Forest of Death, others will do as I previously mentioned. The following will start in the Forest: Uzuki Yugao, Itou Takahashi, and Ryouta Watanabe. The rest will patrol the borders. Any questions?"

Mikoto looked around; no hands were raised. The mission was simple enough to comprehend, yet difficult enough to perform.

"Right. You are dismissed."

Mikoto watched as the ANBU filed out, feeling a little intimidated. She was rather in awe at their power, their agility, and their grace. Even the manner in which they carried themselves showed great skill, and the smoothness of their actions were so unlike the jerky movements Mikoto made in battle.

Just as she took a step towards the door, the Sandaime called her back. His face was set, grim, almost as if he were waiting for some misfortune to befall them. "You know the dangers, I suppose."

Mikoto nodded, mechanically replying, "Hai, hokage-sama."

He sighed, leaning back against the old armchair. Holding his pipe between his teeth, he took a few long puffs and gazed out the window, staring fondly at his village. "Very well," he wheezed, "you may go."

-------------------------

You could say she saw it all.

She patrolled the village borders, keeping a keen eye in what she believed to be the most easily infiltrated areas. She was alert, watching, a kunai ready in her right fist. At every slight rustle, she would tense, whipping around to face the possible intruder.

Somehow, she had a bad feeling about the exams. It was an odd feeling deep in her gut, one that told her something was out of place. She couldn't detect the source of it, but a dark aura seemed to linger over the village. A knot formed in her stomach, fear and apprehension coiling within her like a serpent.

She ventured closer to the Forest of Death, faint battle cries ringing in her ears. The dark aura was strongest within, sending shivers down Mikoto's spine. She stood frozen, debating on her next move: should she continue patrolling the borders, investigate within, or alert the hokage?

She heard movement behind her, but it was only the ANBU. Glancing back at the masked ninja, she opened her mouth to speak, only to have her voice muffled when he clamped his gloved hand over her mouth. "Orochimaru," he whispered, indicating the forest.

Mikoto's eyes widened as he released his hold. She had skimmed across a few scrolls containing information about the snake sannin, none of which she considered to be particularly pleasant. If the scrolls were correct, then the sannin had betrayed his village to seek power, and had taken any means to stay alive and preserving himself. She shuddered, her hands clammy.

"Stay here," the ANBU whispered before dashing back towards the hokage tower. Mikoto slowly turned to face the forest again, mouth dry.

The two groups switched responsibilities every so often, and she was able to observe her friends' positions. Tenten and her team were doing fine, already finished collecting their scrolls by the time she stopped by. Sasuke wasn't in such fine condition, he was unconscious the last time she saw him. Gaara, on the other hand, was without a scratch and had already disappeared to the tower well before her shift in the forest.

She was sent back to her apartment to rest after a few hours, and immediately collapsed onto her mattress. She didn't feel sapped of energy; her endurance training back when she was a Kiri Academy student had taken care of that problem. No, she was anxious, apprehension welling up inside her heart. Her fingers still trembled uncontrollably, and a kunai was easily accessible.

She fell into a fitful sleep that night, tossing and turning, wondering what had happened in the preliminaries of the chuunin exams. More than once she had woken up, nightmares replaying in her mind.

The month after that, she kept Tenten company while she healed from her devastating fight with Temari, and occasionally trained with Neji in Tenten's stead. She took flowers to Lee on Tenten's behalf, and occasionally helped Sasuke with the new jutsu he was learning. Of course, he was gone most of the time, most likely training with his porn-loving yet elite sensei. Naruto also seemed to have disappeared, though he was seen slurping up a large bowl of steaming Miso Pork Ramen at Ichiraku's.

After Tenten had healed, Mikoto would also wander across town with Sakura (PINK?!) and her blonde counterpart, Ino. This didn't happen very often, Mikoto being extremely annoyed at how all both of them ever did was rave about Sasuke, though she could tell that Sakura really cared about him, and that Ino's feelings were more of a childish crush.

She also spent some time with Akamaru, Kiba's canine companion, playing fetch with a stick. The dog was actually quite intelligent, as Mikoto had come to notice, and was fierce when his strength was needed.

And Gaara...well, Mikoto saw him often on the streets, sometimes wandering alone, other times accompanied by his siblings. Every time she looked at him, his pale sea-blue eyes brimming with unknown emotions, she would cringe. His prediction that the two would never resume the friendship they had once shared pierced through her heart, numbing her senses, flooding her eyes with shimmering tears.

After all that time that she had loved and hurt, she had shed so many tears it was a wonder that she hadn't dried up into a shriveled prune.

That month came and went, and once again she was summoned by the hokage as a patrol, her first shift to oversee the final tournament. She tagged along beside Tenten, wary eyes flickering back and forth in an inconspicuous manner. Twice she thought that a robed figure who stood off to the shadows in the corner looked rather shifty, but he was garbed in the Konoha ANBU uniforms, so she wasn't particularly alarmed.

She had even tried to dispel any illusions, but it was not. He was another ANBU, so Mikoto pushed her suspicions to a corner of her mind.

She watched Naruto's battle, cheered on both sides. When the next match, Gaara versus Sasuke, was postponed, she was inwardly thankful despite the public disproval. She wasn't sure that she was ready to see the victor, knowing that both would fight to the death and were most likely equally powerful. She shuddered to think of the outcome. Shino's battle came next, but his opponent, Kankurou, forfeited, leaving Temari's and Shikamaru's clever battle as the final one she witnessed before hastily exiting the stadium.

It was merely moments before it all began.


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Once again, I repeat, I DO NOT own Naruto. And I never will in this lifetime either, for that matter.

R&R?

-------------------------

It was merely moments before it all began.

It happened shortly after Mikoto bid her hasty farewells to Tenten and picked her way through the cheering spectators. After she had given one last glance to that redheaded ninja that so often pervaded her mind...

She had just reached the dust paths when she heard a large explosion coming from the gates, dust and broken pieces of wood and stone flying everywhere.

Dodging the hurling pieces of debris, Mikoto whipped around, eyes widening in fearful awe as a large, three-headed snake appeared, towering above even the highest rooftops. The beast swung its mighty tail around, obliterating all in its path. Evil yellow eyes flicked about, glaring at its surroundings. It hissed, a sound of utter loathing.

Peeling her eyes from the fiend, she gasped as enemy ninja streamed in from all sides, shouting commands. Mikoto narrowed her eyes, silently slipping a hand in her weapon holster.

A shuriken zoomed towards her with deadly accuracy and speed. She barely managed to dodge the throwing star, turning swiftly to face her opponent. With well-practiced movements, she created a few _bunshin_, and together they attacked, shuriken flying in every direction. Two thudded deep in his chest, three on his arm, and one slashing his cheek. He grunted, then fell still.

As the steadily increasing number of ninja gathered about her, she deadpanned. She wasn't trained to fight off multiple enemy nin, for Kami's sake, least of all that many chuunin! After all, she was only just a genin, trained to fight in the simplest ways. It was already pretty much beyond her level to have fought with her previous opponent. Grimacing from a bloody gash on her shoulder, she quickly performed hand seals, wiping blood from her shoulder and pressing the bloody digit to the ground.

"_Kuchiyose no Jutsu_!" she cried, as smoke engulfed her enemies and blinded them. The smoke parted, revealing a monstrous jellyfish, its translucent body almost camouflaging with the background. The jellyfish thrashed about with its tentacles, bringing alarm to the ninja. Mikoto straightened, a triumphant smile on her face, panting with the effort of the summoning.

"A _jellyfish_!?" one of the intruders cried, smirking with glee as he swallowed his fear. "You expect us to be frightened by a mere _jellyfish_!? Now that's laughable!"

Another joined in, flinging a kunai at her face with practiced movements. The weapon slashed through a few strands of hair, narrowly missing her right cheek. "A jellyfish. Somehow, me thoughts that ye'd summon something better...hey, maybe next time ye'll spring up a bunny, a cut widdle bunny wabbit!" He hopped around, ridiculing none but himself.

"Heh," Mikoto panted, a grin spreading slowly across her face as the group of men burst into laughter. "You should be frightened, very frightened, if you value your existence at all." She turned to the jellyfish, and nodded her head once. The jellyfish immediately complied, blasting high-pressure water and soaking the attackers, if not bruising them.

"Oh look," another sneered, dripping water, futilely attempting to preserve the little pride he had left. "You got us all wet. Now what, or was that your big plan?"

"Now this!" Mikoto cried furiously. She was enraged by their foolish taunting, as if they were playing a game with a child. The jellyfish lashed out with tentacles, the ends blazing electric blue, a bolt of chakra-enhanced lightning zapping the chortling ninja. They froze in shock as electricity spread across their bodies, an invisible fire burning their skin, interfering with the pulsing of their hearts. Their blank eyes stared in horror at her as they collapsed one by one, dead.

It was Mikoto's turn to smirk, patting the jellyfish lightly on the back. "Good work, Izumi-san," she said, a small smile on her face.

Together, the two continued on their way, occasionally knocking out the few invading ninja. with their combined strengths. When they finally reached the village gates, Mikoto gasped as she witnessed a huge and bloody battle, the few Konoha sentries posted on duty hopelessly outnumbered by the invading forces. Jumping into the battle, she helped fend off the attackers.

She was just kicking aside a chuunin when she saw his hitai-ate. Engraved on the steel plate was a carving of a music note. Eyes wide, she spun around, and her eyes met turbaned enemies, an hourglass-like outline scratched onto the metal.

Suna and Oto...working together?

She was slammed back to reality as she was shoved roughly aside by a muscular Otogakrue jounin, leering down at her unpleasantly. She struggled to regain her composure, only to be slammed back down onto the dust. Grimacing, she kicked out with her left foot, meeting only air. She was unceremoniously shoved back onto the ground as the jounin pressed the blade of a kunai to her throat.

"Hey, little girly," he wheezed, laughing. "You shouldn't be out playing an adult's game, girly."

With a fierce cry, Mikoto pushed him off, startling him. She took this split-second opportunity to attack with a barrage of senbon needles. One slashed his arm, leaving a wide and bloody gash, but otherwise the jounin was unharmed.

"Not bad, girly, but can you take this?" he taunted as he rapidly flung shuriken, the weapons slashing against her arms and legs. Mikoto staggered back, eyes narrowing in pain as blood seeped from her wounds. Panting, she slowly recovered her stance and balance.

Charging, she unsheathed an elaborately carved dagger, its blade beaten from the hardest flint and the handle engraved with the finest ivory. With a few complicated movements and slashes, she had completely befuddled her opponent and pinned him down on the dirt.

Panting, she smirked. "Not bad for a girly, ne?"

Drawing the dagger, she prepared to stab the jounin when someone grabbed her from behind, swiftly pressing the blade of her own weapon to the back of her neck. Slowly turning around, she gasped.

"_You_!" she breathed, fear and hatred in her eyes. _Didn't you cause enough harm already, murdering my mother...and now you're here to destroy Konoha? Haven't you caused enough pain to satisfy your greed?_ she thought furiously.

As she desperately attempted to wriggle from the man's firm grip, the jounin escaped from under her. Brushing the dust from his flak vest, he glared at the man who held Mikoto back.

"I could've taken care of that brat," he spat venomously, turning scarlet with rage. "I didn't need you to interfere, Hozumi."

Hozumi shook his head, a cocky smirk etched onto his lips. "Ryou, this isn't about interfering at all. Hell be damned, this isn't even about the invasion of Konoha either, you dim-witted piece of shit."

"Why, you little – " The jounin charged, enraged, flecks of spittle spraying from his mouth as he screamed curses. His katana in hand, he prepared to slash at his fellow comrade's face. In a split second, the jounin crashed onto the ground, his own katana quavering where it lay, lodged deep in his chest. Blood oozed from his wound, the red liquid splayed around him like a halo of death. He drew a shuddering breath, his last, and his mouth foamed as poison seeped into his body.

"Damn you," he rasped before he lay still, his eyes blank.

Mikoto stood slowly, her knees wobbling uncontrollably, a deep loathing blazing in her eyes. "I know why you've come back, Hozumi," she informed him calmly. "And you're never going to get its power."

And she ran, ran as quickly as she could away from that beast of a man, straying off from the dust path and into the lush forest ahead. She sent silent commands to her jellyfish summoning, ordering her to continue defending the village. She couldn't let Hozumi, the man who had taken almost everything from her, take away the last thing she held on to. Yet at the same time, she couldn't fail her first mission as a Konohagakure ninja.

She could hear the pounding of his footsteps as he gave chase, and fear thudded in her ears. She knew he would catch up eventually, and what would become of her?

Swallowing her fear, she pushed on through the thick foliage. No, she couldn't think of what might happen, but she knew that she had to use the energy that flowed within her as a bait, yet keep it from him at all costs. And she might even _use_ that power, if things went out of hand.

The regular forest din was suddenly muffled, and too late Mikoto realized her mistake. She had wandered away from the path too many times, sometimes figuratively and other times in reality, and Hozumi knew it.

Too late did she realize that she was already captured.

-------------------------

He saw her walking away, longing in his sea-blue eyes. He wanted with all his heart, even if it was a demon's heart, to follow her, to tell her what he truly meant at their brief reunion. How that she had mistaken the meaning of his words to the exact opposite of what he felt.

Too late.

He was called to the stadium, but not before his siblings cast him one last anxious glance, for the various jounin from all over the Five Shinobi Countries to evaluate his skills. He descended down the stone staircase slowly, leisurely. His chin quivered not in anticipation, but in guilt.

He knew he should have written to her over the years they were separated from each other, reached out to her as she had to him, once. How long had it been since they had frolicked in the sands of Suna, without ever knowing the pain of reality of the world of shinobi – some six, seven years, maybe?

Over the years, he had changed from a young child with naïve beliefs that ninja were living the life of excitement, to a boy who knew the horror of killing. He knew, and yet he indulged himself in the art of shedding blood, murdering to take away his grief. He had become an emotionless killing-machine, the weapon that Suna had wanted.

Did their view of him change, as he had hoped it would? His father wanted a powerful weapon that belonged to Sunagakure, their village blanketed in poverty, and so did the civilians. They needed someone who would help make the village strong again, and yet they treated him cruelly, as if he were the monster that dwelled within.

Of course, they had treated him as such since he was born, unable to control his powers and causing much unintentional chaos to Suna. But he had thought that maybe...maybe the villagers would accept him if he did what he was born to do...?

So he tried, tried and failed. Though there was one memory that was so bliss, it hurt to think about. So bliss, he didn't truly believe he deserved it.

And that was Mikoto.

She saw the boy beneath the mask of a demon, and befriended that boy. Even when she learned of the despicable truth, she stuck by him and refused point blank to let the others decide for her. Because Gaara would always remember what she had said... "Why do I care what _they_ say, for Kami's sake?!"

He took a step forward onto the dust of the stadium, facing his opponent, the prodigy Uchiha Sasuke. He had been waiting for this moment for quite a long time now, ever since he had arrived in Konoha. He grinned devilishly, fingers twitching at the thought of proving his worth to the spectators that had come to watch the Uchiha. How instead of watching the raven-haired genin kick ass, he would get _his_ ass kicked. Oh, and slammed onto the ground with a kunai held at his throat.

Then, in the midst of the afternoon with the sun blazing down upon him, a shiver crept up his spine, so out-of-place that he had to wonder. And the answer struck him immediately, a solution of pure simplicity.

Mikoto was in danger.

Gaara narrowed his eyes, his brain furiously working to find the perfect resolution – there were none. He would have to save her despite Suna's secret plans... and the quickest way was his most powerful form.

He would have to awaken the Shukaku, the One-Tailed Beast.


	8. Chapter 7

_It's taking too long._

Gaara bared his teeth savagely, a mountain of frustration welling within his heart. Clenching his hand into a fist, he rammed it into the trunk of a tree. Chips of bark and leaves flew into the air, showering upon him like hail.

_Why can't they understand, why won't they leave me alone?_

He lashed out with a massive amount of sand, prepared to end this battle in a heartbeat. He could feel his heart thudding against his ribs, the sweat dripping from his brow. He could not lose, he _would_ not lose. He still had Mikoto to save, and could not risk losing precious time, no, not if he expected to see her alive.

His transformation slowly began, his body steadily mutating into an armour of Shukaku's sand. His stamina increased as time wore on, yet his patience was worn thin. That brat, Uzumaki Naruto he called himself, resisted and retaliated like no other.

_Why doesn't the fool just give up? He knows the end of his story as well as any other._

Naruto's cerulean orbs blazed as he panted, struggling to penetrate a weakness. He narrowed his eyes, and a sudden blast of red chakra raged through him. The bloodlust in the air was as much as Gaara could bear, the tension thick as they stood in their preferred battle stances, pure fury and rage radiating off of their controlled movements.

"Do you know how much pain you are causing to those who are innocent?" he spat, rushing at Gaara with impossibly agility.

Swerving just at the last moment, Gaara turned, snarling, to face his opponent. His face was hardly recognizable, eyes bloodshot, a beast-like leer etched on his porcelain skin. "Pain?" he breathed, his expression contorting horribly. "PAIN?! Do you, Uzumaki Naruto, know what pain even is?"

A tremendous tremor shook the ground, sweeping away the trees and leaving a massive clearing of destruction as Gaara roared, fury released. Even so, Naruto stood tranquil on the quivering branches, his face shadowed, fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles shone pale. Slowly, he spoke, his voice quavering yet firm. "Yes."

"Really?" Gaara smirked, cocking his head to one side. "Have you been the victim of torture, of suffering, by the villagers that live around you? Have they cast you aside from the games they have played, laughed at you, and called you a monster? Have you suffered, truly and utterly?"

Personally, Gaara was quite satisfied. He was sure that the blonde was about to sheepishly look away and mumble a rather feeble "No, I haven't." So he was rather shocked when Naruto stared at him straight in the eye and declared softly, "Yes."

_So he has suffered...he and I are the same_, he thought as he stared in wonder. He has suffered at the hands of his peers, perhaps even his teammates at one time. Yet, he has proven his worth to his village, made them believe through his deeds that he was not an evil to be rid of.

"Yet...you still protect them. They have caused you harm and you still wish to save them...?" he muttered, thoroughly puzzled. Then it struck him, plain and simple.

He cared. He allowed room for penitence, for forgiveness. He tried to see through others' mistakes and unite them. Perhaps his teammates were different than the others who ridiculed him, perhaps they tried to understand after seeing him. Perhaps...they were the same as Mikoto. And then he understood as well.

-----

The battle was lost, hopelessly lost. He was beaten to the ground, wounds and blood covering his body. Eyes closed, Gaara lay motionless on the slimy solution of dirt and blood and sweat, only the faint rising of his chest giving a hint that he was still alive. Slowly, he opened to let his pale eyes appreciate the wonders of life and earth as he had never known he would before.

For he had learned to love, to truly see his surroundings.

The words that Uzumaki had spoken rang in his ears, bringing colour to everything he had once thought was painted black and white. He heard Mikoto's voice again, telling him about her dreams, his dreams. At last, he could remember the melody that once rang in his ears, filling his day with innocent joy.

And yet, Mikoto waited, in the perilous situation that had separated them in the beginning, in grave and absolute danger. As he painfully stood, he could only hope that the same situation would not be the final separation.

Because he would never forgive himself if it were.

And with a soaring heart, he set out in search of Mikoto.

--------------------------

_Thud. Thud. Thud._

Onyx eyes fluttered open, surveying the surroundings. Cold stone walls stained with a splash of blood met her unsteady gaze, as did a number of people: slumped against the walls, lying motionless on the straw floor, all...dead.

Mikoto shuddered, hugging herself to keep warmth in the dank dungeon. She felt lightheaded, dizzy, and incapable of stringing words together to form a coherent sentence. _I must have been drugged,_ she concluded, sighing dejectedly as she glanced towards the previous victims of her captors.

Tears stung her eyes, ached in her throat. Mikoto buried her face into her hands and sobbed silently, her shoulders convulsing as tears leaked from closed eyelids. She didn't want to be there, with the dead, with nothing to think of but her death. Her cold, most likely brutal and violent death, without even the chance to make up for her past deeds...

Mikoto shook her head, a pained expression on her face. Wiping the moisture from her flushed cheeks with a sleeve, she scrambled up and shakily tottered across the room, eyes seeking for an escape. Pressing her fingers to the wall, she scraped a tangle of moss and algae and stumbled back, horrified.

Akishima, Kikumi. 1947 – 1972

_Impossible_, Mikoto thought, as the sunken eyes of a skull leered back at her, the gems embedded in the empty sockets casting an eerie glow on the off-white bone. Covering her lips with a hand, she muffled a scream of terror. _Tha-That can't possibly be _Kikumi-sensei_...can it?_

An amused cackle aroused her from the grotesque image of the skull, by now probably forever implanted within her memory. Whipping around, she came face to face with a pale face, full red lips twisted into a smirk and golden eyes fixed blankly on her expression. Tossing her deep blue locks, she regarded Mikoto with a look of utmost contempt. "You really haven't changed at all, have you? Still as naïve as ever, poor thing. And to think that _you_ wield the strongest force in this universe...the power of Mizu."

Mikoto flinched, uncomfortably shuffling as those golden eyes bore into her mind. "What would you know about Mizu?" she croaked, eyes narrowed distrustfully.

Kikumi smiled, her voice coated with honey as she cooed, "Now, Mikoto. Don't make this harder than it has to be, dear. Just give me Mizu's power and I'll be going."

Mikoto laughed humorlessly. "Huh, you really believe I'm dense enough to believe _you_ of all people? After your disappearance, or perhaps _abandonment_ would best describe how you left us, I learned a little something.

"It wasn't that I had never known you weren't to be trusted. I had a feeling of suspicion, of doubt, ever since you were assigned to train us. You had seemed nice enough, and had trained us, but there was something you left out, a vital part to our training. And those eyes, _sensei_, those golden eyes of yours; specifically designed to block out emotions. They were fake, perhaps implanted through surgery.

"But the thing that struck me as odd was your resemblance to the female member of the Akatsuki, Konan. The flower, and the fact that you never showed us _your_ signature techniques. The only one ever to master the arts of origami, Konan. Or rather, you."

Kikumi nodded gleefully. "Yes. You had me all figured out, didn't you? That's what I had expected of you, my best student."

Mikoto straightened, nervously fingering a kunai cleverly sewn into her sleeve. "That not all I figured out. Through scrolls in the Amegakure Library, it was thus revealed that Konan rather disliked killing – and accompanied by the fact that she disappeared to an unknown part of the shinobi world, reveals that you are an imposter."

Kikumi cackled, her _genjutsu_ fading away, exposing a woman with glossy violet hair, cropped short, and full lips painted black. Grey eyes gazed at her coldly, her eyelashes heavily coated with a thick layer of mascara. Her pale skin and high cheekbones added a regal aura to the menacing woman.

"So you figured me out," she murmured, toying with a strand of gossamer hair. "Not bad, Mikoto-san, not bad indeed."

"You were the one who...who killed them..?" Mikoto hissed, gritting her teeth.

"Unfortunately so. You have to understand, however, that they were simply taking up space in the shinobi world. And, of course, they were keeping you away from me. I certainly couldn't have _that_ happening!" she replied coolly, waving a pale hand. Bracelets adorned her slender wrist; her nails perfectly manicured.

"You didn't have to kill them!" Mikoto spat, angry tears trickling down her cheeks. "You didn't have to kill them, just to get your way! What kind of merciless beast are you...?"

She sighed. "I am _not_ a merciless beast, just a woman with an ambition that I absolutely must reach in order to live a satisfactory life. You see, I have even turned this once frail, stuttering man into a shinobi worth battling." She gestured to a body, slumped over as blood still trickled from a head wound. "However, he became perilously dangerous, and so had to be killed.

"Which reminds me, if you insist on being difficult, I shall just have to be merciless, Mikoto-san," the woman droned, unsheathing a katana. "My own Kusanagi sword, impressive, if I do say so myself. It is with this blade that I will kill you and take your powers."

Mikoto shook her head, smirking. "No. You might kill me, yes, but you will never acquire Mizu's chakra."

Grey eyes flashed dangerously. "What did you say?" she snarled, liquid voice dangerously low.

"I lost the Mizu's power a few years ago," Mikoto answered breezily, "through sealing the bijuu away with a forbidden _jutsu_. Its strength was too great, and I knew that others would come in search of its powers for personal gain."

"So all those tremors that have followed your wake in rage...are just _miracles_?" she cried in disbelief.

"No, of course not. Even the sealing could not seal away all of Mizu's powers," Mikoto replied. "But what is left is securely within my own chakra circulations, meaning that in the even you do attempt to kill me, none of its remaining powers will be attainable."

The imposter's face turned crimson with rage, lips curling into a feral snarl. "How dare you disrupt my plan, the only excuse I have for living," she spat wretchedly. "You'll pay for this, you impertinent little girl!"

She charged at Mikoto, swift as the wind. Mikoto barely had time to parry the blow before she struck again. Mikoto dodged in a frenzy; she knew she was no match for whoever the fraud was. The woman's strength, stamina, and agility outmatched hers by several leagues. Mikoto knew that she was no rival, but an ant about to be hopelessly squashed...

The blade slashed at her again, just a metallic streak. Mikoto's eyes widened as she felt the air rush from her, the pain as the sword slashed through her vital organs, blood spilling everywhere. She slammed against the wall, barely unconscious as the blood continued to flow, unstopping.

Mikoto could feel her consciousness fading steadily, black creeping into he blurred vision. And the last thing she remembered was the gentle touch of sand and the shriek of a woman, dead.

-------------------------

And yet her heart still beats, frail, but persistent.

_Thud. Thud. Thud._

Perhaps inconsistent, but still it beats, not ready to give up life.

_Thud. Thud. Thud._

Mikoto was in a world of black, of utter darkness. She stood there, alone, in the cold silence, feeling the bitter touch of ice as it swept about her by a nonexistent gust of wind. Far away in the distance, she could hear the faint whisperings calling her name, "Mikoto, Mikoto."

She knew she was alive, perhaps in a coma, but alive. She strained to open her eyes, to move, anything that would prove she still breathed.

But she was scared. What would she find when, or if, she did awake? Would she see her friends and the villagers again, and would they _want_ to see her after she failed in her duty to protect them? Would she find nothing but utter destruction, and rubble and devastation?

"Mikoto..." whispered the wind. "Come back...please..."

_That's Gaara's voice!_ Mikoto thought, as the chips of ice stung her skin. With the last of her energy, she concentrated on nothing more than opening her eyes to life.

-----

Onyx eyes fluttered open, taking in the shock of pale sea-blue orbs gazing caringly at her, the starlight peeking from the smothering background of the midnight sky. As her obscured vision slowly adjusted to the light, she saw him.

Gaara.

He sat hunched over her body, gazing down at her with all the love her heart ached for so longingly, tears dripping from his eyes onto her sodden cheeks. "Mikoto," he whispered hoarsely, a smile slowly spreading across his bloodied face. "You're alive..."

Mikoto gave a broken chuckle, gently entwining their fingers. "Of course, you of all people should know that I don't give up that easily..." She broke off, looking away.

"Gaara," she mumbled at last, "why did you say that...that we wouldn't be the friends we once were?" Her voice cracked as she glance up at the redhead, tears welling up in her eyes.

He leaned down to brush away her tears, holding her hand tightly. "I never said that, Mikoto."

"Yes you did!" she exclaimed, tears streaming down her face. "You said that to me after our reunion..."

Gaara shook his head. "No, I didn't. I told you that we would never be the same, and by that I meant that I had loved you too much for our friendship to be, well, just a friendship." And then, he bent down swiftly, and pressed his lips to her own.

It was Mikoto's first kiss.

Inside, she was bursting with emotion: love, hate, everything. But she could only press in deeper, longing for his gentle touch. Their kiss was perhaps hesitant at first, then it melted into something sweet, gentle, and loving, yet filled with passion.

Mikoto broke from their kiss after a long moment she wanted to hold on to dearly. Shyly (which was rather different from her usual self), she wrapped her arms around Gaara's waist and leaned into him, breathing in his calming, warm scent. "I love you too, Gaara," she mumbled happily.

And Gaara pulled her in closer, returning her embrace. "I know," he whispered with a faint smile. "I know."

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A/N

Wow, that took me a long time to write, but I'm finally done!


End file.
